Vehicle bow-spring.



G. THOMAS.

- VEHICLE BOW SPRING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1913.

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1,10 1,586, Patented June 30, 1914.

6 gHlll coLuMBlA PLANDGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

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VEHICLE BOW-SPRHG.

Application filed July 22, 1813.

To all whom i2- may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE THOMAS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certaln new and useful Improvements inVeh1cle Bow-Springs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements 1n vehicle bow springs and hasfor its object to provide means for reinforcing the central portion ofthe spring.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined holding andreinforcing clip for the leaves of a bow spring.

With the above and other objects in view, which will be more fullyexplained in the following specification, I have invented the deviceillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is anelevational View of one form of my improved spring, shown partly brokenaway, Fig. 2 is an enlarged irregular vertical sectional view of thecentral portion of a bow spring, Fig. 3 is a plan view of a reinforcingplate, Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line AA of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is anelevational view of another form of the device.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout thespecification and in the several views in the drawings in which- 1indicates a bow vehicle spring consisting of a series of leaf springs 2,3, 4, etc. Alinin g notches 5 are provided on one edge of each of theleaf springs to one side and away from the center thereof, and aliningnotches 6 are provided on the opposite edge of each of said leafsprings, but diagonally disposed from said first notches and away fromthe center of said springs.

A pair of plates 7 and 8 having ears 9 and 9 and 10 and 10 at each oftheir four corners are disposed on the upper and lower central portionsof the spring 1 and are connected together by four bolts 11, 12, 13 and14 which extend through opposing openings 15 and 16 in said ears 9 and10, the bolts 11 and 14 extending into the notches 5 and 6 respectivelywhereby the leaf springs are held against slipping upon each other.

The plates 7 and 8 are elongated whereby the entire central portion ofthe spring 1 is reinforced and its parts securely held together wherebyconsiderable strain is relieved from the weakest part of the spring,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June so, 1914.

Serial No. 780,493.

the part that usually gives away first or breaks from overstrain. I havefound that bv strengthening the spring in the manner above described thelife of a bow spring is more than doubled. The ears 9, 9, 10 and 10extend beyond the sides of the spring to receive the bolts 12 and 14 andthese ears receive between them the clips 17 which support the vehicleframe 18 relative to the spring 1, said ears being spaced sufficientlyapart to just permit the clips 17 to fit snugly therebetween thusholding the spring and frame in proper relation and against relativemovement.

The plate 8 is provided on the central portion of its outer surface withan integral head 8 adapted to seat in a recess (not shown) provided inthe axle 18, whereby the spring is held against slipping on said axle.

The leaf spring 4 has its ends 19 and 20 turned over the bolts 21 and 22held by the clips 23 and 24 whereby the longer of the leaf springs areheld together at all times in order to prevent the noise and wearincident to separating and hitting against one another on rebound.

The screw ends 25 of the bolts 12 and 14 project upwardly and throughthe upper plate 8 so that the nuts 26 thereon will be held againstaccidental displacement by the frame 18 which seats directly on saidnuts. Should either of the plates 7 or 8 or any of the bolts holdingthem together become injured they may be readily replaced Without havingto renew the entire fixture.

Having now described my invention that which I claim to be new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The described device consistingof a series of spring leaves, a pair of plates embracing said leaves, apair of ears on each side of each of said plates, each of said earshaving openings therein, bolts extending through said openings wherebysaid plates and leaves are held together, one of said openings on oneside of each of said plates being located beyond the plane of the sidesof said leaves whereby the bolts passing through said latter openingswill extend outwardly of said sides, other of said openings beinglocated partially within the plane of said sides, and grooves in saidsides alining with said latter holes whereby bolts extending throughsaid latter holes lie partially within said grooves preventinglongitudinal relative movement of said leaves.

2. The described device consisting of a series of spring leaves, a pairof plates embracing said leaves, a pair 01 ears on each side of each ofsaid plates, each of said ears having openings therein, bolts extendingthrough said openings whereby said plates and leaves are held together,one of said openings on one side of each of said plates being locatedbeyond the plane of the sides of said leaves whereby the bolts passingthrough said latter openings will extend outwardly of said sides, otherof said openings being located partially within the plane of said sides,and grooves in said sides alining with said latter holes whereby boltsextending through said latter holes lie partially within said groovespreventing longitudinal relative movement of said leaves, the grooves inone side of said leaves being diagonally disposed relative to thegrooves in the other side thereof whereby transverse movement of saidleaves is prevented.

3. Thedescribed device consisting of a series of spring leaves, a pairof plates embracing said leaves, a pair of ears on each side of each ofsaid plates, each of said ears having openings therein, bolts extendingthrough said openings whereby said plates and leaves are held together,one of said openings on one side of each of said plates being locatedbeyond the plane of the sides of said leaves whereby the bolts passingthrough said latter openings will extend outwardly of said sides, otherof said openings being located partially within the plane of said sides,and grooves in said sides alining with said latter holes whereby boltsextending through said latter holes lie partially within said groovespreventing longitudinal relative movement of said leaves, the grooves inone side of said leaves being diagonally disposed relative to thegrooves in the other side thereof whereby transverse movement of saidleaves is prevented, said ears and bolts being spaced apart forming aseat for a spring holding clip, said ears preventing relative horizontalmovement between said device and clip.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence oftwo witnesses.

GEORGE THOMAS. Witnesses:

EDWIN B. ROLL, NELLE HIGHTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1); C1

